The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1887-03-17

,ru rsy., tus' OooAE VIII you road u carefully
VIII you read the letters Of Olnthus Gregory
want your society In heaven. I have loved
you on earth more dearly than any other man,
and would love TO enjoy you forever 10 heaven
Ii human virtue alone could carry you there,
you would Be certain oft. But, nv dear friend,
there must oe spiritual change. Would 10 God
you could be persuaded of thisl You will think
me mad This whole subject. I fear, 10 distate-
iui 10 y"o. You vii say that you have thought
enough OF II that you have made up your mind.
and must take your chance I hope you will
not cay sn lam no rsving enthusiast. True rel-
gion Is calm, serene. sublime. There Il nothing
sour or ascelic about It, 1t Is sweetener Of the
spirits, ant the parent Of all that s kind, and pure,
and benevolent In human affections 1t 10 not
gloomy, bat cheerful and social To walk with
God and TO commune with Him 10 His works.
and through his spirit. what can be more exaltns
ennooIingi What 20 we'll calculated to oil the
heart with love TO our fellow creatures-with the
most expanded philanthropy! Do not reject
the Christian religion because its mysteries con-
found your reason.
Forced as you are to believe 90 many other
mysteries, will you not believe that This Is possi-
pie! Then examine ils evidences, and if the
facts ON which Il rests be well atesied, would il
not be illogical still TO resist II, because il is
mystery! Examine these evidences rs Horne
snd ne s and r
II is not necessary that you should wish to find
them true, only do not wish TO find them false.
Only look at the prophecies OF The Messiah.
Their genuinenese 70 placed beyond question.
The evidence comes from the enemies of the
cross. They would not sophisticate them, and
the detail is too full and minute to refer the
verification TO chance. Compare the slate of the
Jews with the predictions OF Moses. How is
this to be explained by human reason Hu-
man reason may deal with historical facts
which form the evidence of the Christian reli-
gion. Do the facts prove the bible TO be q reve-
latiOn from GOdr Let these facts be examined
They are all embodied 10 your hand by Horne
II The evidence is unanswerabie, it would be a
poor reason to reject the conclusion because it
passes human reason, when the thousand mys-
teries around US equally pass human reason.
All the works of God transcend our reason
Shall we, therefore, disbelevc their exis,encef
Names are but of little account. Nuilius Gddic.
usjurare in perba naGjestir is the declaration of
many an unbeliever who secretly pins his faith
ON Folare, COndorah D'Alemberte, Payne,
Hume, ETC., etc. But in whom have the powers
Of reason been more strongly exh hibited than in
ETC., etc, ETC., who had all examined this subject,
and were all believers. and not ashamed OF the
faith
The account of great names is at least
sufficiently balanced awaken every rejecting
man to serious and profound examination Of
this subject. II is too solemn and awful in its
consequences TO be lightly and specifically dis
and the justice of God, settled by ourselves in
our own favor, and by the scale OF human reason,
are rather rash dependence, when we are as
sured by great and enlightened men, who have
no interest in deceiving that there is an infal
lille standard within our reach by which we
may test the solidity of our calculations and
hopes.
ought to beg your pardon, my dear friends,
for this letter. had NO intention Of writing such
one when began. ! have been hurried into
II, and borne along beyond my purpose, but am
most anxious about it. 1t was only last night
that was talking to my dear wife about you 90
this subject. You know she loves you, not
merely because do, but for your own sake, and
because of your love for me- We have both ex-
perienced, in this late trial, the consolation of
religion. We are convinced that our child is in
heaven, safe housed from the storms of life
which she was too delicate to endure; and we
| trust, through the atOning merits, the pardon,
and acceptance of the Lord Jesus, TO be united
| with her again when ii shall please God TO call
US. But for this hope life would be insupportabe
| TOT US. As tits, we endeavOr TO live as much in
| heaven as on earth, and endeavOr to do The will
| OF our Father on earth as 1t 10 in heaven. This
may all seem very simple and foolish to you,
but We find ii u reality. Would to God you
! could be persuaded 10 try II. know that OBJ
stuacy is no part of your character. have
heard you say you wish il, my dear friend ? Are
you sure there is no latent wish TO The contrary?
II SO then take 1t up as new subject. Dismiss
| your prepossessions and give il fair play May
God in His mercy, dispose you to dn it, and en-
| tighten the path Of your inquiry. We are both
growing old, and shall probably soon part ON this
earth God forbid that We should part forever.
freely admit that, 80 far human virtue is
concerned, your chance is far better than my
own, but mere human virtue Is not the prepara-
iion for that holy heaven in which our God
10 enthroned. l have no reliance ON self
l am vile and worthless. II am saved at
all know that it must be of the free grace OF
God, and through the merits of dying Savior.
1t is HIS spirit alone that can 1t me for the hab
itaton OF the saints on high.
Thursday-I sat dow o TO write letter to YOU
last night, not anticipating what kind Of letter
it Was 10 be, but abandoning my pen 10 my feel
ings as always do, when wiring TO you, and
had written thus Tar, my heart misgivng me all
the while lest should be doing more harm than
good, when determined TO stop and take the
matter under further advisement. l have ac-
cordingly done so, and, on reviewing my letter
this morning am very uncertain whether
ought or not to send il. l fear il will
seem very weak and foolish to you, and you will
probably suppose that griei has unsettled my
understanding. But you know that these are
not new thoughts with me- and of one thing
you will be sure, that this letter is proof OF my
ardent love for you. and n proof that rely on
your candor and friendship to do justice TO my
motive / have not the folly to consider this
letter as an argument in favor of the Christian
religion. know how far and wide the Obiec
tions to it run, for have been over the whole
consider the subject, and 10 do 1t without aver
sion. not by the light of your own understanding
only, but by fair examination OF the authors 10
whom have taken the liberty to refer you. And
finally, have 10 beg that you will take this let
ter in the good part in which you know it 10